West Seneca is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than city, cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares ...

in Erie County,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States. The population was 44,711 at the 2010 census. West Seneca is a centrally located interior town of the county, and a suburb of Buffalo. West Seneca, Orchard Park and

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...

form the inner "

Southtowns The Southtowns (also known as the Buffalo Southtowns, the South Towns, or Southtown) is a region of Western New York, United States, that lies within the snowbelt or ski country. It includes the southern suburbs of Buffalo, New York. This is t ...

", a cluster of middle-class suburban towns.

History

Because the town is on land of the former Buffalo Creek Reservation, it was not open to white settlement until the mid-19th century. In 1851, the town of Seneca was formed from parts of the towns of Cheektowaga and

. The town changed the name to "West Seneca" in 1852 to avoid confusion with the town of Seneca in

Ontario County, New York Ontario County is a county in the U.S. State of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 112,458. The county seat is Canandaigua. Ontario County is part of the Rochester, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 2006, '' Progressi ...

. In 1909 the area immediately south of Buffalo split from West Seneca, becoming the city of Lackawanna. Following election day in 2019, the town elected a Republican Town Supervisor for the first time in 50 years and first town board member in 13 years, despite having a two to one Democrat to Republican ratio among registered voters (a Democrat running as an Independent also ran in the Supervisorial race). The

Eaton Site Eaton Site is a historic archeological site located at West Seneca in Erie County, New York. It contains a record of small, intermittently occupied campsites from the Early Archaic (c. 8000 BC) though the Late Woodland (c. 1200 AD) periods and a ...

was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

in 1979. The Community of True Inspiration Residence was listed in 2013.

Quality of life

West Seneca offers a community-rich suburban lifestyle. The town and local businesses sponsor a large number of family oriented community events and festivals. The town has an extensive system of recreational facilities, including 15 town parks, an indoor skating rink, swimming center, youth community center and a large soccer complex. The town is home to the Charles E. Burchfield Nature & Art Center. The 7.2 million dollar Southtowns Family YMCA Facility opened in 2003. A recreational bicycle and pedestrian trail tentatively named the Seneca Creek Pathway is planned. West Seneca was named "The best place in New York State to raise kids" by Bloomberg Businessweek in 2010.

Places of interest

Downtown Buffalo and its cultural offerings are located approximately 12 minutes' drive to the west, while both the American and Canadian sides of

Niagara Falls Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Fall ...

are about a 35-minute drive to the northwest. The

Charles E. Burchfield Charles Ephraim Burchfield (April 9, 1893 – January 10, 1967) was an American Painting, painter and visionary artist, known for his passionate watercolors of nature scenes and townscapes. The largest collection of Burchfield's paintings, archiv ...

Nature & Art Center is located in West Seneca. Developed in 1999, the art and nature center complex also contains wild and cultivated gardens, a large playground, nature trails, playgrounds, and an outdoor amphitheater alongside the banks of Buffalo Creek. West Seneca is home to a variety of shopping centers, with one of the most popular being the Southgate Plaza. The McKinley Mall in Hamburg and Walden Galleria in Cheektowaga are both within a 15-minute drive. The town was once home to one of the largest malls in the area, the

Seneca Mall Seneca may refer to: People and language * Seneca (name), a list of people with either the given name or surname * Seneca people, one of the six Iroquois tribes of North America ** Seneca language, the language of the Seneca people Places Extrat ...

. Schwabl's, a restaurant staple, has been located in West Seneca since 1942. Famous for their beef on weck, the restaurant was featured in a 2009 episode of '' Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations''. Mayer Bros. Cider Mill began operation in 1852 by Jacob Mayer. The business is still family-owned, with some operations still housed in the original building.

Education

There are three separate public school districts within the town. The West Seneca Central School District is the largest and serves the entirety of the town. It also serves small portions of the southern parts of Cheektowaga and South Buffalo, the northern portion of Orchard Park, and the eastern area of Lackawanna. West Seneca is home to the following private primary and secondary schools: * Fourteen Holy Helpers School (closed June 27, 2014) * Queen of Heaven School * The Center Road Christian Academy, * Trinity Christian School * St. John Vianney School * West Seneca Christian School * Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School (closed June 27, 2014; The school had its main building in the Orchard Park district and the junior high building in the West Seneca district, both physically in the town of Orchard Park near the Hamburg town and Lackawanna city lines.) Houghton College used to have a branch campus in the town that also served as the central office for its Extension Studies program.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy An economy is an area of th ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.27%, is water. The

New York State Thruway {{Infobox road , state = NY , type = NYST , alternate_name = Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway , maint = NYSTA , map = {{maplink, frame=yes, plain=yes, frame-align=center, frame-width=290, type=line, stroke-width=2, type2=line, from2=New Yor ...

(

Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, a ...

) passes through the town and intersects New York State Route 400 (Aurora Expressway) in the northwestern part of the town and

U.S. Route 219 U.S. Route 219 (US 219) is a spur of US 19. It runs for from West Seneca, New York, at an interchange with Interstate 90 (I-90) to Rich Creek, Virginia, intersecting at US 460. US 219 is found (from north to south) in New York, Pennsylvania, ...

in the southwestern section. The east town line is marked by New York State Route 78 (Transit Road). New York State Route 240 (Harlem Road/Orchard Park Road) and New York State Route 277 (Union Road) are other major north-south roads, while

New York State Route 16 New York State Route 16 (NY 16) is a state highway in western New York, in the United States. It runs from the Pennsylvania state line, where it is one of the highest highways in the state in elevation, to downtown Buffalo. NY ...

(Seneca Street/Center Road) and New York State Route 354 (Clinton Street) are major east-west highways.

Adjacent cities and towns

* Town of Cheektowaga - north * City of Buffalo - northwest * City of Lackawanna - west * Town of Hamburg - southwest * Town of Orchard Park - south * Town of Elma - east * Town of Lancaster - northeast

Major highways in the Town of West Seneca

(

) passes through the western part of town in a north-south direction. (Overall Thruway direction is east-west.) *

(Southern Expressway), north-south route that travels through the extreme southwestern corner of town and ends at I-90. It is a major traffic artery for Buffalo– Springville traffic and other points south. * U.S. Route 20 (Transit Rd., Southwestern Blvd.), north-south route that forms the east town boundary as Transit Road, with NY 78 north of Seneca Street ( NY 16) and without NY 78 north of the Orchard Park Border. US 20 then turns west along the Orchard Park border and forms the southern town border for a short while. *

(Seneca St., Center Rd.) passes through the town east-west from Buffalo into Elma. (Overall direction of NY 16 is north-south.) * New York State Route 78 (Transit Rd.), north-south route that marks the east town line with

US 20 U.S. Route 20 or U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west United States Highway, United States Numbered Highway that stretches from the Pacific Northwest east to New England. The "0" in its route number indicates that US 20 is a major ...

north of Seneca Street ( NY 16). * New York State Route 240 (Harlem Rd., Orchard Park Rd.), north-south route through town from Cheektowaga to Orchard Park. * New York State Route 277 (Union Rd.), north-south highway through town from Cheektowaga to Orchard Park. * New York State Route 354 (Clinton St.), east-west roadway through north part of town from Buffalo to Elma. * New York State Route 400 (Aurora Expwy.), east-west highway through the town from its west end at I-90, east into Elma that roughly parallels NY 16.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2010, there were 44,711 people, 19,151 households, and 12,223 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 2,148.8 people per square mile (829.7/km²). There were 18,982 housing units at an average density of 888.2 per square mile (343.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.96%

White White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 0.85%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.21% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.01%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Ocea ...

, 0.29% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 1.67% of the population. There were 19,151 households, out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.02. As of the

of 2000 the population was spread out, with 22.3% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males. The median income for a household in the town was $46,278, and the median income for a family was $54,179. Males had a median income of $39,003 versus $26,846 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $20,529. About 3.0% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 5.1% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in West Seneca

* Buffalo Airfield (9G0) – A general aviation

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surfa ...

on the north town line. * Buffalo Creek – A stream flowing westward through the town. The name of the city of Buffalo is derived from the stream. The creek is called the "Buffalo River" as it departs the western edge of the town. * East Seneca – A location on Route 16 in the east part of the town. * Ebenezer – Centrally located, a hamlet named after the Ebenezer Society (also called the Community of True Inspiration), a group of German

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

s who purchased land and settled this area around 1843. Later, many of this communal group moved to Amana, Iowa, and had abandoned their four settlements in West Seneca by 1863. *French Quarters – A location in the northwest part of the town. * Gardenville – A

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depi ...

on the northern border of the town shared with the town of Cheektowaga. * New Ebenezer – A hamlet east of Gardenville. *Tim Russert Park – A park named after NBC journalist

Tim Russert Timothy John Russert (May 7, 1950 – June 13, 2008) was an American television journalist and lawyer who appeared for more than 16 years as the longest-serving moderator of NBC's '' Meet the Press''. He was a senior vice president at NBC News, ...

, who attended elementary school in West Seneca. It is currently used by South Buffalo Rugby. * West Seneca Census-Designated Place – Census designation that corresponds to the entire town of West Seneca. *West Seneca Developmental Center – A closed State facility for people with developmental disabilities in the southeast part of the town. It is still headquarters of the Western New York DDSO. *Western New York Children's Psychiatric Center - a State facility for mentally disturbed children and adolescents. Co-located with the now closed West Seneca Developmental Center.

Notable people

* Matt Anderson, professional volleyball player * Jordan Buckley, Keith Buckley and

Stephen Micciche Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; h ...

of rock band Every Time I Die *

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ...

and

visionary artist Visionary art is art that purports to transcend the physical world and portray a wider vision of awareness including spiritual or mystical themes, or is based in such experiences. History The Vienna School of Fantastic Realism, first establis ...

who lived in West Seneca for 42 years *

Vincent J. Graber Sr. Vincent J. Graber Sr. (May 17, 1931 – July 2, 2014) was an American politician. Background Born and raised in South Buffalo, New York, he went to South Park High School and then served in the United States Army in 1952. In 1954, Graber worked ...

, former New York State Assemblyman * Jeremy Kelley, NFL wide receiver * Christian Metz, Inspirationalist who helped found the hamlet of Ebenezer * Aaron Miller, former

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

player who grew up in West Seneca * Chris Mueller,

player who grew up in West Seneca *

Tina Parol Tina Annetta Parol (née Borusowski; 1988) is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. Biography Parol is a first generation American, born to Polish immigrants. She is still fluent in Polish. She was born in New Jersey and at age ...

, singer-songwriter *

Brian Roloff Brian Roloff (born August 8, 1986) is an American professional ice hockey forward who currently plays for the Ravensburg Towerstars of the German DEL2 league. Career Roloff grew up in West Seneca, New York. Prior to turning professional, R ...

, professional hockey player *

, NBC journalist who attended elementary school in West Seneca * Lee Stempniak, current NHL player who grew up in West Seneca *

Justin Strzelczyk Justin Conrad Strzelczyk (August 18, 1968 – September 30, 2004) was an American football offensive tackle who played nine full seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1990 to 1998. His death, at age 36, he ...

, former NFL player who grew up in West Seneca * Robby Takac, bassist for the

Goo Goo Dolls The Goo Goo Dolls are an American rock band formed in 1986 in Buffalo, New York, by guitarist/vocalist John Rzeznik, bassist/vocalist Robby Takac, and drummer George Tutuska. After starting off as a cover band and then developing a punk so ...

* Sandra Lee Wirth, former New York State Assemblywoman

Gallery

File:Fourteen Holy Helpers RC Church, West Seneca, New York.jpg, Fourteen Holy Helpers Church File:Schwabls Restaurant.JPG, Schwabls Restaurant

References

External links

Town of West Seneca official website
*

{{authority control Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area Towns in Erie County, New York